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Reviews
Poor Things (2023)
A film unlike anything else
It is rare these days to get to watch a film knowing nothing about it in advance, but I intentionally avoided reading reviews or any descriptions of Poor Things, because, based on Yorgos Lanthimos's previous works, I had faith he wouldn't disappoint, and knowing his rather unique style, I didn't want possible negativity to ruin my enjoyment.
I don't want to spoil anything from anyone else, but this film is unlike anything I've ever watched. Emma Stone makes an unbelievable performance, and deserved her Oscar and some. The rest of the cast is equally brilliant. This film is bizarre, provocative, quite hilarious and one of the best I've ever watched. It is not for everyone, and whatever age rating it has, it probably deserves. Watch it with an open mind, let yourself be consumed by the story, and enjoy the ride.
La Brea (2021)
Nope
I didn't read the description after they mentioned a sink hole and I expected a disaster story. It took me one episode and two minutes of episode two to understand that I was watching big budget trash. If this was a movie, I might push through, but there are 30 episodes, and nothing justifies that.
I think the premise was interesting. I expected survival, trying to survive in a postapocalyptic LA and all that, but what I didn't sign up for are prehistoric cgi animals. Or time warps. Lost would have been a great show, had it only been one season long. There is no way they had enough material for multiple seasons of whatever this is.
Guan yu wo han gui bian cheng jia ren de na jian shi (2022)
Funny, touching and enjoyable
It's always a joy to start watching a film with zero expectations, and find yourself crying at the end - after quite a few good laughs. This film was a rollercoaster ride, a story about the unconditional love of family, about overcoming homophobia, about gender equality and a proper crime mystery. The majority of the comedy is about the ridiculousness of homophobia, and I'd say this film has a good message of acceptance. The ending wasn't quite what I hoped for, but it was beautiful, and made me cry. This is not just another comedy, but something with soul. And, there is possibly the funniest scene in a film involving a shower, a dropped soap and a man without clothes.
Elemental (2023)
Fire can do That?
Can younmake a good animation about elements? Surely not? Well, Elemental proved me wrong.
I didn't really know much about this film beforehand, but the themes of immigration, honoring your ancestors and family and dating outside of your own culture weren't that hard to catch. Underlining the themes didn't take anything away from what is a beautiful lovestory between two people who weren't supposed to fit.
The animation is perfection. I very quickly fell in love with how the different elements fit in their surroundings, each having their own strengths and weaknesses. It is amazing how you can animate fire and give it a personality and a body to match. Ember is an absolute badass and multitalented, and Wade is all heart. Their unique qualities complete eachother, if only Ember's immigrant parents can get over their prejudices. While the city is about to get flooded.
I shed a tear or two at the ending. It wasn't a huge plot twist, but it didn't have to be. It was just right. A little sad, a little happy. For an adult watcher, this film was enjoyable both visually and as a story. It's a shame how little attention this film has received, because it is genuinely amazing.
The Crowded Room (2023)
Brilliant
I did not know what to expect, but seeing Tom Holland and Amanda Seyfried as main cast was enough for me to give this series a try. Holy s*it,the story blew my mind.
The subject matter is as hard as it can get, but the story is told with thought and respect. I now know this was based on true events, but I'm yet to learn more. Maybe this series makes things cleaner than the reality, I don't know. But if that is the case, maybe some polishing was needed to make this story more bearable.
I only recently mentioned someone Tom Holland is too brilliant of an actor to be wasted on action comedy. Yes, he is physically made for action, but his talent as an actor is out of this world. You can see the emotions in his eyes even when he doesn't speak a word. He was made for a complex role like this.
I'm a fan of Amanda Seyfried, and it was great to see her in a role like this. The supporting cast was also well chosen.
I saw some negativity in online comments for this series, and I gotta say, don't believe them. This series is not an easy watch, because the subject matter is so difficult, but it is worth you time. I gave this series 9/10 stars, the one star deduction is ony, because I feel the last few minutes were slightly too Hollywood-esque. But overall, a brilliant series.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
Nearly perfect
I've read the book this film is based on, and without reading it, I might have given this a solid 10-star rating. The film, however, is just a little less amazing, so nine stars it is.
It would require some level of a miracle to have both a British prince and a son of a US president be of a similar age, attractive, queer and into eachother. If you allow yourself to believe in all of those requirements, this becomes a wonderful story, and a story this world needs right now. Lgbtq+ rights are being attacked, in both the US and the UK, as well as in many other countries right now, and amongst all the hate, the global queer community needs some happy endings.
If you haven't read the book, read it, then watch the film. You'll love it. And the message at the end of the film, take it to heart. The power to change the world is in our hands, one happy ending at a time.
Fire Island (2022)
Sweet and true to Austen
I love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and I've seen many film adaptations of the novel, loved most of them, and it is a story, which doesn't get old. This was a sweet version of it, with a wonderful cast, and a queer twist I quite liked. I read some of the negative critiques, and I understand that this story has quite a few stereotypes of gay men, and yes, they're all young - but in Austen's original story, the main characters are young people trying to find a spouse, and the story is filled with stereotypes, so how is this different? A classic is a classic because no matter the era, it captures something ageless and timeless - and I personally loved this version. The main cast was excellent, and as a whole, this movie works. It is sweet, it is romantic, it is funny, and very true to the original book. And it's gay. Now, when are we getting a sapphic version?
Hannah Gadsby: Something Special (2023)
My favourite comedian in action
This is now the third special from Hannah Gadsby, and one I love as much as the two earlier ones. While Nanette broke my heart, Douglas was just pure joy of connecting with a fellow autistic mind, and no we have Something Special, which, indeed, is something special.
Hannah has the ability to build her comedy on laughing at her own peculiarities all the while being just the charming witty person she is. She tells the story of proposing her now wife, Jenno, and turns the story into a heart-warming comedy show without insulting anyone, without laughing at less-fortunare people, and without being problematic. And, this is pure perfection.
Also very relatable for someone like me, autistic and queer.
Certain Women (2016)
Beautiful and painful
The film came up in my recommendations, and after seeing the cast, I started watching knowing nothing about the film beforehand. I'm glad I did.
This film was beautiful, despite the lingering sadness. The barren Montana scenery and the unending silence trickered my agoraphobic anxiety, but that only shows just how captivating this film is. A lot more was said than what was put into actual words, and the frustration and desperation of the leading women is palpable. Yet, they carry on living.
Laura Dern, Michelle Williams and Kristen Stewart are all excellent in their roles, but the star of this film for me was Lily Gladstone, whose storyline made my heart ache. This film is proof you don't need say much to tell a story.
Venuseffekten (2021)
Sweet and sapphic
I found this film by looking for something not so heavy, but preferrably with a queer theme. Such films are terribly hard to come by, yet I found this gem, which now is my new favourite of its genre.
This is a sweet story about falling in love and growing up surrounded by beautiful nature and lush fruit gardens. It can't get better than this, I feel even the colour scheme was chosen for the wlw audience in mind. The cast feels real, the acting feels genuine, and all I want is to have a happy ending for the stunningly human leading ladies. I gave this film 9 stars, and the only reason for dropping yhat lne star was that the film ended before I was ready to let go. I want more of this.
Men (2022)
Weirdly fascinating
I started writing this review after just finishing the film, and since it leaves so much for the viewer to interpret, I figured I'd share my thoughts about this strange but captivating film. I know, there is a high chance I interpreted the whole thing wrong, so read at your own risk.
It all started when the first scene began. Seeing Jessie Buckley's character, my thought was, huh, is she perhaps gay? Then later, she was telling the husband she wanted a divorce, but the real reason was never revealed. The husband seemed to think it was something the wife had done, but he didn't want to divorce. Then he fell and died.
There are numerous moments in the film, where dandelion seeds are present. All the men in the film seem alike in the eyes of the woman , who goes to the country village to get over the husband's death. She seems happy and free sat first, until things go weird.
So, suppose the reason she wanted the divorce was that she had an affair with another woman? Suppose, she had used her husband just to get "seeds" to get her girlfriend pregnant, and that's why the husband was so upset, but still wanted to stay together. For her men were just sperm banks, and she felt guilty for the way she had used her husband without actually being able to live him. The woman who seems to be close to our protagonist, is actually her girlfriend, and when she shows up in the end, she's pregnant, and seeing her makes the protagonist smile warmly, because seeing her pregnant makes it all right.
The World to Come (2020)
Stars deducted for the tropes
Rating this film is challenging. As a queer person, I've seen so many unnecessary deaths of queer characters in otherwise excellent films, and I think we'd quite like to see some happy endings for a change. Then again, since the writers and director of the film all appear to be straight, maybe they thought a romantic drama with an unhappy ending was refreshing in between all the happily ever afters the straight population is provided with, left and right. I assume bury your gays is a trope only "the gays" understand.
That being said, I loved the subtle poetic way the story of the love between these two women unfolds. This is a harsh, cold environment, but in eachother Abigail and Tallie find the beauty, kindness and comfort they were missing. Their growing love is evident in their gazes, smiles and touches, and the chemistry is palpable. Why the director chose to hide the passionate affair in hair stroking and a few embraces, only to reveal just how corporal their love was in a blink or you'll miss it montage after Tallie was already dead, is a conundrum. After the numerous explicit scenes of straight sex in most romantic films I've watched, that was unfortunate - especially when we did get to see a scene between Abigail and her husband. But oh well.
I gave the 8 stars, but how about the next beautiful poetic drama with lesbians, just let them live and find happiness despite the hardships. There are numerous excellent novels to find inspiration from, some written by actual queer women.
The Princess (2022)
Blast of energy
I loved this. Badass princess fighting for her life and the lives of her loved ones, and being brilliant at it. Things don't always need to be complicated to be entertaining, and for me, this film ticked the boxes kinda like Kill Bill back in the day, with just a tad less sophistication, but equally good feminine energy. My girl heart ticks for this kind of stuff.
Heartstopper (2022)
Cute, age-appropriate and beautifully diverse
This is the kind of series I wish we had when I was a teenager. A positive but realistic depiction of young queer love. I still have a couple of episodes to go, but I'm already in love with the story, the very likable characters, and the casual inclusivity of this series. More of this, please!
Food of Love (2002)
Melodramatic but interesting
This felt more like watching a play than a movie, and all the acting was a bit overly melodramatic. I was not sure of anyone's motives for doing what they did, Paul most of all. Then again, if you accept the weirdness of everything, it was actually a nice change in portrayals of queer people.
Brazen (2022)
Nope
I've read the novel by Nora Roberts this film was based on, and loved it. This film, on the other hand, is not worth your time. Alyssa Milano does a decent job in her role, but the plot is too obvious and predictable to be rescued by a single actress. Read the book, skip this film.
El baile de los 41 (2020)
Like a dance, but tragic
Being lgbtq+ couldn't have been easy in the 19th century, and the price these men had to pay for their attempt at living their true lives was high. This film was, like it's name suggests, like a dance. Beautifully filmed, emotional, and very tragic.
My sympathies are on everyone's side in the story. Initially, I felt most for the wife, she wasn't treated fairly. But the faith of Ignacius and Everisto was equally, if not more, tragic. As sad the story was for the people involved, this story is a part of the lgbtq+ history, and I'm glad that it is now beautifully told.
Coming 2 America (2021)
Oh no
I think it says a lot about this film that I laughed harder at the titles of the reviews than I did at the film. Coming to America is, hands down, among my top 5 comedies of all time. This is bad, even for a sequel.
The two stars I gave are mainly for bringing back the majority of the original cast. This cast has it in them to make amazing comedy, but this just wasn't it.
SparkShorts: Out (2020)
A step to the right direction, but...
It's a small gesture from a massive company like Disney, but it's also a really big thing for those of us who have felt left out of the Disney family. I gave this little creation 9/10 stars, but on a rainbow scale, it gets a full spectrum of colours.
On a more serious note - and why I left that one star out. Disney has been raising kids for decades, and the company has the platform and financial strength to do things on a much bigger scale than this shortest of short films. I doubt anyone but LGBTQ+ people specifically looking for this film even find or ever see it. This is step to the right direction, but young kids who want to believe in magic of animation and imagine themselves as princesses, warriors and fairytale characters need to see that all kids are welcome. Representation is the foundation of a healthy self-esteem. Out was lovely, but you really need to step up your game.
It's a Sin (2021)
Beautiful and heartbreaking
I watched the whole series in one sitting, and I'm currently crying my eyes out. I had very little knowledge of what the story was about, but of course, being set in the 80s, in the queer scene, I should have known better.
I've seen many other films and shows of the aids era, and this is among, if not, the best. The cast with their youthful innocence of what's to come was brilliant, and their characters were simply likable. And they broke my heart more than once.
This series was pure perfection also in the way the 80s were pictured, and with the brilliant soundtrack which not only followed the years lived in each episode, but also highlighted so many brilliant queer artists.
This was categorized as comedy, and although there were bits of comic moments every now and then, there was also a constant sense of impending gloom. But overall, anything less that 10/10 would be too little.